Bhakti Shastri (048) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 02 Text 01 to 05

Podcast

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.

Sārthiṁ arjunaśyādhā kurvaṇyitāṁ hṛtaṁ tathā lokatrayopakārāṇā tasmaiḥ kṛṣṇātmanena mahā Hare Kṛṣṇa Welcome to the Bhagavad-gītā, chapter 2. So, at the end of the chapter 1, Arjuna has put aside his bow. viśrujyaśaśaraṁ jāpam śokṣaṁ vīgna-mānasaḥ He is holding his head in his hands, his head is lowered. In his śokṣaṁ vīgna, his mind is filled with misery.

mānasaḥ śokṣaṁ vīgna With moroseness, with lamentation. And he has told through his actions to Kṛṣṇa that I will not fight. So that is the end of the Arjuna Viśādha Yoga.

Now, the second chapter starts. Second chapter has been named differently by different ācāryas. Sāṅkhya Yoga is one of the standard names.

Because Sāṅkhya is what is talked about at least in the initial part of the chapter. And Sāṅkhya essentially involves analysis. Analysis of existence into various elements.

So the analysis of the existence into basically matter and spirit. Into our life, into body and soul. Our being into material and spiritual sides.

So, Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said that the second chapter has the whole Gītā in a nutshell. And that's why he uses the name contents of the Gītā summarized. So, Prabhupāda uses that name for the second chapter.

Let's look at the overview of the second chapter. And then we will move forward. So, the sections can be divided into five.

The first section is Arjuna's further doubts and surrender. So, Arjuna expresses one more reason that is indecision. And he feels, because I am undecided, so let me just not take the more aggressive course of action.

Let me not fight. Then, in Krishna, he is basically using various reasonings to Arjuna for fighting. So, first is in 11 to 30, he says jñāna.

What is jñāna? That is knowledge. Fight. So, using jñāna, fight.

As the soul is eternal, compassion for the temporary body is ignorant and useless. So, here he counters Arjuna's compassion argument. First argument was, oh, how can I kill my relatives? He felt compassionate for them.

Second argument was based on enjoyment. So, in 31 to 38 is karmakāṇḍa. So, that is the first application of ātma-jñāna.

Ātma-jñāna is I am not the body and the soul. So, when you understand that you are not the body and the soul, that means you will continue to live after you die also. And if you act according to dharma, then you will get elevated destination, go to swarga.

By doing your prescribed duties, you will enjoy. So, dharma has to be done to get kāma and artha. So, therefore, he says that if you want to enjoy also, only by doing dharma you will enjoy.

And in this way he counters Arjuna's enjoyment argument. And then, further, the third argument is about nishkāma-karma-yoga. So, in the nishkāma-karma-yoga argument, Krishna basically focuses on Arjuna's concern that there will be suffering because Arjuna will be subjected to sinful reactions.

So, Krishna tells him that if you act in nishkāma-karma-yoga, then you will be doing activities which will bring no reaction. And when there is no reaction, then there is no sinful reaction also. So, that is the next part.

So, in nishkāma-karma-yoga, that is the second application of ātmā-jñāna. It's one level higher. If you really understand you are the soul, then the goal is not to go to swarga.

The goal is to go beyond material existence to eternal spiritual existence. And for that, be not attached to anything material. So, fight with detachment, then there will be no sinful reactions.

So, this counters Arjuna's sinful reactions argument. And then, when he is talking about a person who is detached from everything material, for that, Arjuna asks, who is that kind of person? I want to know more about that person. Then Krishna gives the characteristics of that person.

And there, that is the last section, characteristics of a sthita-pratyam. So, basically, in this section, Arjuna's three arguments, compassion, enjoyment and sinful reactions, is in one way countered. Now, the argument about kulakṣya-panaśyanti, the destruction of family tradition, will be countered in the third chapter.

And Arjuna's next, last, fifth argument is indecision, which he will make in this chapter. That will be countered by the end of the Bhagavad Gita, when Arjuna expresses his decision. In use of indecision, expresses decision, I will fight.

So, let's look at the chapter now. It starts with, sañjaya vāca tam tathā kṛpayā viṣṭam aśvapūrṇā kulekṣaṇam viṣīdanta-midaṁ vākya vāca madhusūdanaḥ So, tam tathā kṛpayā viṣṭam tam, unto that person, who is that person? The previous chapter ended with the description of Arjuna. Arjuna had sat down.

So, unto that, tathā kṛpayā viṣṭam So, that Arjuna, who had thus sat down, overcome by kṛpayā, by weakness. Weakness caused by compassion. So, aśvapūrṇā kulekṣaṇam So, ikṣaṇam is eyes.

pūrṇākula aśvapūrṇā, full of tears. That means, not just a few tears, but the tears were filling the eyes, practically speaking. If you consider the eyes to be containers, then the container was overflowing and the tears were coming out.

viṣīdantam idam vākyam viṣīdantam means he was lamenting at that time. These words, vāca madhusūdanaḥ So, that Lord Madhusūdana, he spoke these words. So now, Śrīla Prabhupāda, because this is a Sankhya Yuga chapter, where there is a difference between the body and the soul.

Śrīla Prabhupāda takes the focus in this chapter on the point that actually bodily emotions are illusory. So, in the previous chapter, the focus was on talking about Arjuna's qualities. And that's why Prabhupāda said that Arjuna is thoughtful, he is saintly, he doesn't want to hurt others.

In all these ways, he is talking about the good qualities of Arjuna. But now, he is going to talk about the bodily conception. Prabhupāda starts itself with a very sūtra-like statement.

Material compassion, lamentation and tears are all signs of ignorance of the real self. Compassion for the eternal soul is self-realization. That's two distinct points Prabhupāda makes, which are related, but they are substantially different also.

First is ignorance of the real self. So, when we are ignorant, then there is material compassion, there is lamentation and tears. So, which is what Arjuna has exhibited.

Where are these three words coming from? These are coming from what is talked about in the verse, kṛpayā parayā viṣṭam, that is material compassion. Then there is viṣīdantam, that is lamentation. And aśrūpūrṇā kulekṣana, that is tears.

So, these three are coming up. And Prabhupāda is saying all this indicates the ignorance of the true self. And if the true self is known, and if one wants to be compassionate, how is one compassionate to the true self? By cultivating self-realization.

By cultivating self-realization. So, compassion for the eternal soul is self-realization. That means, actually, a person doesn't have to be hard-hearted if the person wants to be spiritually knowledgeable.

It just says that we have to direct the soft-heartedness in the right avenue. So, when we are ignorant, if somebody is coughing, and we think, oh, that person is coughing, what should I do? Cough causes so much pain. So, if somebody says, oh, that person is coughing, just stuff the person's mouth with a hanky, then he will not cough.

You may want the person to not cough, but that is ignorant. That is not going to solve the problem of coughing. Actually, we have to take the person to a doctor, and then give the proper medicine, and the coughing will stop.

So, when we see somebody coughing, naturally we feel, if somebody is coughing very badly, we feel compassion for that person. Compassion has to be directed in an intelligent and knowledgeable way, not an ignorant way. So, same way, with respect to the suffering of material existence, when we see death, when we see old age, when we see destruction, we naturally feel bad about it, but we have to have it in a direct, those resulting feelings of compassion, properly.

So, that is, actually, the person is suffering, but this person is suffering because of bodily misidentification. There may be some specific causes of suffering right now, which do need to be dealt with, but beyond that, person is fundamentally suffering because of ignorance of the soul. So, that ignorance has to be countered, and the way that ignorance is countered is by becoming self-realized.

So, that is why, compassion for the Self is self-realization, for the eternal soul is self-realization. So, actually, when we are chanting Hare Krishna, we are being compassionate. Compassion to ourselves, compassionate to others, that is self-realization.

Now, Prabhupada, of course, used the word Madhusudana, and he says, Madhu, here, Krishna, he says Krishna is the killer of demons. So, then, Sanjaya is indicating through the use of the word Madhusudana, that this Lord, who killed the demon, will now kill the demon of doubt, the demon of indecision, the demon of delusion, that has overcome Arjuna. So, that is the indication of this particular word.

After describing this, now Krishna, these are the first words, full words that Krishna is speaking, he has spoken, just Vashya, Vashyapartha, Vashyaitan, just see, that was the only word that Krishna spoke in the earlier chapter. Now, he starts speaking, Sri Bhagavan uvaca, kutasthva, kashmala vidham, vishame samapastitam, anarajushtam asvargyam, akirti karam Arjuna. So, Krishna is surprised over here, kutasthva, where from, kashmala vidham, that such contamination has come upon you, kashmala is contamination, vishame samapastitam, vishame, vishama means, at a critical moment, critical moment, how have you become so weak minded, anarajushtam asvargyam, this does not befit you, anarajushtam, you are a glorious person.

So, sometimes, you know, if there is a big sporting event, say there is a World Cup final, and the last over is coming, and then the bowler is about to bowl, and the bowler starts trembling, how can I bowl, what will happen in this over? The captain says, come on, you are made of better stuff, you cannot lose your nerve like this. So, people who lose their nerve, sometimes, they are called as chokers, you choke when the pressure comes up, when the pressure comes up, a person should be able to take the pressure, that is maturity, that is a person who can choke, take the pressure, is said to be cool, but somebody who cannot take the pressure, is said to choke, so a person gets choked up. So, Krishna is telling Arjuna, do not be a choker like that, so nobody likes the label of a choker, people feel, when the pressure comes, I will be able to take the pressure.

So, Krishna is telling, anarya yushtam asvargyam, anarya, this is vishamesam upasthitam, this is a crisis moment, this is a pressure moment, and at that time, the real stuff should come out, the real strong you should come out, but what is this, I am saying, anarya yushtam, this will become you. So, kutasthva, from where has such a feeling come about? This is unexpected for you. Now, the words have special significance over here, anarya yushtam, asvargyam, akirti karma arjuna.

So, he is saying that, this action is unbecoming for you in three ways. What are three ways? It is unbecoming for you as aarya, it is unbecoming for you because asvargyam, it will not take you to auspicious destination, and also akirti karma, even in this world, it will not bring you fame, but infamy. So, it does not befit who you are, it does not befit what you will get in the future, in the next life, it does not befit what you will get in this life, also.

So, in every way, this action is unworthy of you. Now, what is the word aarya? Now, we have a very positive connotation of the word aarya. Say, the word aarya, there is a particular society which is called aarya samaj, and they have the idea that aaryans are a particular kind of people.

Historically, it is said that aaryans were a very advanced race. Prabhupada acknowledges all this, but he says, these are all external meanings. The essential meaning of the word aarya, when Krishna is using it, he is not referring to it, oh, you do not belong to a particular race.

Prabhupada says, aarya refers to those who know the purpose of life, who know the spiritual purpose of life, who have spiritual values. They are aaryas. So, today the word aarya has a very negative connotation in western thought.

That thought has come to India also. Basically, words acquire certain meanings based on how they are used. the word aarya has become almost like a, in today's intellectual dialogue, discourse, it has become like an untouchable word.

Nobody wants to use that word to identify themselves. Just like nobody wants to be called a fanatic, a religious fanatic. That is probably the worst label that a person can get.

You are a right-wing extremist. So, like that, the word aarya has got a lot of negative connotation. In fact, associated with Vedic culture, there was this also, we have the swastik.

So, there was an attempt in Germany to get the swastik banned. Because swastik itself has associations which bring very unpleasant memories to certain people. So, the word aarya has not been banned, but it has also become like that.

So, why is that? Prabhupada explains, beyond any racial, cultural connotation, he says aarya has a spiritual connotation, connotation, spiritual meaning, that is, that it refers to the person who has spiritual values. That person is aarya. Now, words have two features.

There is denotation and there is connotation. Denotation means what the word directly means. Connotation means what it implies.

So, when we use words, we have to be aware of both. For example, we discussed earlier the word gay. The word gay, denotation, 50 years ago, it was just simply cheerful.

But now the word gay has a completely different meaning. So, like that, now, of course, words have certain meanings and they have certain subtle associations when the words are used. So, what is the problem with the word aarya? So, actually, when the Europeans came to India, they discovered, after Vasco da Gama came to India, basically, Europe was divided into Catholics and Protestants.

So, there are two main divisions from the 15th, 16th century onwards between the church and Spain, Portugal, and Italy. These were the countries which were under the Catholic church. And France, Germany, Britain, they were all under Protestants.

So, they had their own churches, Anglican church and other churches. But there was a split. And both of them felt that we should evangelize the world.

Evangelize means we should spread the gospel of Christianity everywhere. So, the Protestants went to America. Amerigo Vespucci and Columbus went there.

Then Vasco da Gama came to India. Now, of course, primarily Italy and Spain, they were under Catholics. So, then after that, they went to South America.

And then there were the Catholics and Protestants. Wars were going on in Europe. And similarly, in the colonial territories also, wars were going on.

But eventually, Britain, which is a pro-Protestant country, it got paramount. It got power over India. And then when they came to India, initially, they found this culture so majestic.

Satyagraha. First thought that everybody, apart from Christians, must be very barbaric people. And Rudyard Kipling even wrote a poem.

His poem was that it is the white man's burden to civilize the rest of society, rest of the world. So, he said just like it's a father, it's a father's responsibility to grow the child, to educate the child. So, he said that the whole rest of the world is uncivilized, it's primitive, uncultured.

And it is the white man's burden to civilize the rest of society, rest of the world. So, they had their own superiority complexes, complex, that we are the best in the world. And of course, they had science and technology, which added to their infatuation.

So, when they came to India, they were shocked to see that India had its own magnificent literature and a lofty vision of history, which spanned far, far greater than their history. For Europe, all the doors of history ultimately go to Greece. There is Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and something beyond that.

But primarily, Greek civilization was considered very advanced. And after that, Jesus came and Jesus redeemed everything. So, that was the idea.

But the Vedic civilization went thousands and thousands of years beyond. And initially, they thought this was a very primitive civilization. But as some of them started looking at Sanskrit literature, they saw the scope of it, they were stunned.

And somehow, their superiority complex couldn't digest the idea that there can be any civilization which is more advanced than our civilization. So, then they tried to come up with various ideas how can we accept this. Then, basically, they found that there is a lot of similarity also.

For example, the Monier-Williams and Max Muller and all these other prominent Indologists, that is Western European scholars who studied India. The branch of knowledge which studied India is called Indology. So, of course, it involves philosophy, it can involve language, it can involve religious studies, it can involve anthropology.

Various fields can be there in that. But the broad branch is called Indology. So, now, all these people, when they studied, they found that Sanskrit was remarkably similar to Latin and Greek.

But not only was it similar, it was actually better. Sanskrit was more refined, the vocabulary was better and the structure, the grammar structure and the aesthetics was also better. So, the grammar is for techniques and we have figures of speech, we have metaphors, literary devices, that is for aesthetics.

So, the techniques and aesthetics of Sanskrit, both, were superior to Latin and Greek. And now, this was even more difficult for them to digest. So, then, a logical inference if both are, if Sanskrit is superior to both, then one inference could be that why is the similarity there? Because they are all related.

And Sanskrit is superior Sanskrit is more advanced. And then, probably there was some old civilization from which there are offshoots. And, that, so, some offshoots went to Europe.

And that's how European civilization came about. But this was unacceptable to their superiority complex, you know, that means, these barbarians, so, they had the idea, we are civilized people, rest of the world is barbarians, so, these barbarians, they are our source and they have a civilization better than us, that they just couldn't accept. So, they came up with their own theory that, ok, the European civilization and the Indian civilization, both have evolved from some other civilization.

And that civilization they called it the Aryan civilization. And they had the idea, Aryans came from somewhere, they came and civilized Europe, and they came and civilized India also. Now, this was not just to explain away the magnificence of Indian culture.

That was one aspect. But there was a political it was not just to justify their superiority, there was a political agenda behind this also. when the Muslims came and ruled India, the Muslims came and started staying in India.

So, numerous Muslims came and stayed in India and lot of Muslims, Indians also got converted also. But anyway, the Muslims when they came, for example, Akbar, their intention was to rule, they stayed in India. Akbar, Babur, from Babur onwards.

India became their home. But for the Britishers, you know, India was like a degraded land and for most Britishers, they felt that going to India is like a punishment for some officer who is posted in India. India is such a primitive, dirty, uncultured place.

To be posted there is like a punishment. So, they didn't want to stay there. But at the same time, they wanted to maintain their rule here.

So, they decided the only way we can rule India, if Indians consider, if Indians don't cooperate with our rule, we will not be able to rule them. So, the only way we can rule India is if Indians voluntarily accept that we are superior to them. That we are superior to them and that we will teach them and we are there for their help.

Not to rule them but to help them. Then they will accept our rule. So then, how do you make Indians accept their rule? So, from the Indian point of view, if Indians are going to study, look at them from the Vedic perspective, people who eat meat, people who drink alcohol, people who are not following the basic principles of life, regular principles, they are considered low class.

So, how can they be respected? So, of course, they had the power of science and technology which brought some respect and they were political rulers which also brought some respect but that respect was a grudging respect and that was not a willing respect. So, then they felt the only way we can make them respect us is if they see that our culture is superior to theirs and if that is to be done, then their framework for evaluating cultural superiority has to be changed and for that purpose, they decided, it was a huge program which has gone on over multiple generations, they decided that people's faith, Indians' faith in the Vedic literature has to be destroyed. When that faith is destroyed, then they will not see us through the framework of those eyes, through those cultural standards and they will see our superiority.

So, when the Muslims came to India, they destroyed temples. Many temples were destroyed. Thousands in fact.

But, when the Britishers came to India, they did not destroy so many temples. Their strategy was much deeper. They destroyed the faith that made people go to the temples.

By misinterpreting the Vedic literature in a systematic way, they destroyed the faith. So, one of the ideas was that rather than acknowledging that Indian culture is Indians' literature, Indian culture is superior to European culture, they said, both of us, we have come from some other culture and that they call as Aryan civilization. So, in that sense, we are both long lost brothers.

You know, our ancestors were the same. They are the ancient Aryans and we have both come from same ancestors. And now, long lost brothers have met and now that we have met, we will, we have learned some things more so we will teach them to you.

So, and that original Aryan culture that is lost. So, practically, everything that was good about Indian culture, they said, oh, that has not come from India. That has come from that Aryan civilization.

And the original Indians, they were the Dravidians. They were in their low caste, low quality people. And, of course, this is a very complex socio-political issue.

So, I will not go into the intricacies. Our focus here is on the current, current untouchable status that is associated with the word Aryan. Why is that? So, what happened was that this idea, so, one of Shila Prabhupada's scholar disciples, Devamrith Maharaj, has written a book Searching for Vedic India, where he talks extensively about this.

And this is a huge field of academic research also. So, basically, when the idea came up that there was an ancient civilization, which is the mother, which is the parent of both the European civilization, the Greco-Roman civilization, and the Indian civilization. Then the quest for that ancient motherland became frantic.

Now, where was it? The problem is that if there was an ancient civilization, and that was so advanced that it led to all the good parts of the Indian civilization, and all the good parts of European civilization, then it itself must have been very advanced. Where is that civilization? And actually, archaeology and history all around in the Eurasia, or for that matter, in that whole area, we couldn't give any tangible evidence for ancient advanced civilization anywhere else. So, now the correct understanding is that actually that ancient civilization was in India itself.

And after the Kurukshetra war, then people started, when the strong rule of Hastinapur over India and the world started weakening, then there was emigration and then there was disconnection. And that's how the expatriates who went from here everywhere else. So, the point was that actually the heartland of the Aryan civilization was India only.

And Aryans and Dravidians, they were living compatibly together. And this whole division is actually quite artificial. There were so many races over there in India at that time also.

Different people were living reasonably harmoniously. But this idea came up that Aryans were staying somewhere else. And that way Indians could be deprived of the credit for the advanced civilization because this is not yours, this is the Aryan civilization, all the good parts.

Sanskrit has come from the Aryans. Now, if those Aryans were invading tribes who came, there are several problems. First is, there is no archaeological evidence for any advanced civilization anywhere in Eurasia.

Beyond that, if you did, Aryans were just nomadic tribes, that was the idea. You know, they were tribes who were nomadic means travelling here and there. Now, these nomadic tribes sang the Rig Veda, that is the idea.

So now, Rig Veda and Sanskrit itself, Rig Veda itself is a complex poetry and Sanskrit is such a profound language that even understanding the grammar of Sanskrit takes 12 years. So then, the question comes up, if there was a race which is primarily nomadic, people who are just travelling, how much time would they have to study? If they don't even have one place to stay, then they are always on the move, when can they study and how much can they study? If you look at the anthropology of the world, anthropology is study of the cultures, culture of the world, and we see that generally nomadic people don't develop much literature, their language is not very sophisticated, even their thoughts, they may have wisdom because of travelling, but in terms of literary sophistication and linguistic depth, that's not possible for nomadic tribes. You know, we have some idea of this, when say some preachers and some devotees are travelling a lot, then you may can read a few books while travelling, because now travelling is easy, you can travel by cars, you can travel by trains, you can travel by planes, but earlier when people would travel, you have to travel on horseback or you have to walk or you have to travel by some other animal, using some other draught animals, so then that sort of travelling is not very conducive for reading.

So then, and what about systematic serious studying? So there is a complete mismatch between the idea that there are these nomadic tribes who are always going from place to place to place and they are writing and speaking and singing in a language whose grammar takes 12 years to master. So basically the point is the Aryan invasion theory or the Aryan migration theory that is a complete speculation. It's a total mess and there is practically no evidence for it.

But anyway, the idea was once this claim of an ancient civilization which populated Europe as well as populated and civilized both Europe and India came up, then almost every European country started claiming, oh we are that ancient civilization, we are that ancient civilization and one person who claimed that we are that ancient civilization is Adolf Hitler. So Hitler got the idea that Germans are the original Aryans and Germans are the people who have actually civilized the whole world and now that ancient glory of Germany will now come back again. So under me.

So his idea was that because Germans are the original glorious race of the world, they deserve to rule the world and this Aryan idea was one of the prominent ideas of the Nazi ideology and through that we poisoned the whole world, whole of German country and then that poison spread back to the whole world and eventually started attacking country after country and this whole Second World War started because the Nazis were convinced of their superiority over others based on the conception of they being the original Aryans and then he also adopted the swastika so the swastika symbol which is there. So he said that we are the Aryans, we Germans are descended on the Aryans and the swastika that is the symbol of auspiciousness, he twisted it around and he said this is our symbol. So of course he wanted not auspiciousness for everyone, he wanted inauspiciousness for everyone except the Germans.

So either they have to be slaves of Germans, subordinate to Germans or they have to be exterminated. So eventually of course the World War II took place and finally he was checked and he committed suicide and then everything stopped. The war stopped after that in 1944-45.

But the point of all this discussion is that the word Arya became associated with the whole socio-cultural, socio-political mess that erupted as the Second World War and that's why now nobody wants to say that we are the Arya because Hitler was to claim that I was the Arya and the word has got a very negative connotation today. So the point is all these are completely non… they are accretions. Accretions means that which is externally added.

They are irrelevant to the context of the Bhagavad Gita. When Bhaktisthan Sri Chakra sent his disciples to preach, so they went to… there are two countries which were very influential. England was influential and Germany was influential in Europe at that time.

So America was also powerful but America became especially powerful after the Second World War. So Bhaktisthan Sri Chakra at that time Europe was still powerful. So he had sent his disciples to preach in Germany.

So one of his disciples gave a talk about Aryans and then he mentioned the point that actually this Aryan is a spiritual designation and this is not a racial designation. It doesn't refer so much to a particular race. It refers to the person having spiritual values and then one of the Nazis, he read this and he found this unacceptable and he said this is completely antithetical to the understanding of Aryans that we have.

At that time they were in power and they said that this sort of, they said that the Gaudiya Mutt, what they are preaching is completely poisonous. It's completely antithetical. This sort of understanding should not be given and they almost imposed a ban on the devotees preaching over there and the devotees were preaching over there.

They had to, these devotees were, at that time ISKCON was not there, these Gaudiya Mutt devotees, they had to flee for their life and somehow the whole German mission got scuttled. So the point is this is not just a casual thing, what the word Arya means and what it does not mean. It has very serious So, suppose there is a final over to be bowled and there is a famous bowler, he is known to bowl well, but there are only say 7-8 runs to be scored in their last over and the bowler says, if I bowl and the batsman scores those 7-8 runs then my name will get tainted over that he bowled the last over because he lost the match and he says, I will not bowl the over only.

People say, you are a chicken, you should be worthy, you should be ready to bowl the over. It is tough, but you have to do it. So like that, if somebody runs away when there is a big crisis, then what happens is when a person runs away like that, when there is a challenge or a crisis, then the person is disregarded.

So this is worse than that, when there is a war is there and somebody just loses the war. So Krishna continues this logic. Prabhupada, his whole purport is primarily focused on only one point.

His point is Sri Bhagavan Vacha. So he says, who is this Bhagavan? Prabhupada talks about the absolute two-thirsty manifestations, Brahman, Paramatman and Bhagavan and Bhagavan is the highest manifestation and Krishna is that Bhagavan. Prabhupada quotes from the Bhagavatam twice, two steps substantially in the point how Krishna is the original manifestation of Bhagavan, the fullest manifestation, Krishnastu Bhagavan Swayam.

And then after that, Prabhupada just quotes one paragraph about Kutaha and how this is unworthy action. Then, let us look at 2.3 Klaibyam Maasmagam Mahaparthah Nahi Tattva Upapadhyate Shudram Hriday Daurvalyam Tyaktho Tishta Parantapa Klaibyam Maasmagam Mahaparthah Oh Arjuna, this is Klaibyam. Klaibyam is actually a very strong word.

Klaibyam is importance. So this is like a verbal slap for Arjuna. There is a physical slap and there is a verbal slap.

So Klaibyam Maasmagam Mahaparthah. Oh Arjuna, do not become important like this. Nahi Tattva Upapadhyate.

This does not befit you. Upapadhyate means to befit you. Shudram Hriday Daurvalyam This is weakness in many ways.

The Kshatriya is the personification of masculinity. The Kshatriya is considered to be very very strong and powerful and along with that not only courage but also potency. Many Kshatriyas have many wives and they begot many children to their wives.

So that is considered potency. So of course Kshatriyas have many wives because in the Vedic culture the male population would often be less than the female population because many men would take sanyas and that's why all the women had to be married. So Kshatriyas would have many wives and they would have many children and they would have many wives and they would have many children and they would have many wives and they would have many children and they would have many they they and they would children and they would many and they would have many children and they would have many children and they would have many wives and they would have many children and they would have many wives and they would have many children and they would have many children and they would have many children and they would have many wives children and they would and they would many children and would they would have many children and they time Indra was giving a lot of honor and Indra had these damsels, Apsaras who would dance in his court for his pleasure.

And Indra and Arjuna saw over there Urvashi and he was glancing at her again and again. So actually Indra may have noticed it. So Indra thought maybe Arjuna has attracted Urvashi.

So he told Urvashi, you go and serve in Arjuna. So Urvashi dressed herself very nicely. She was also attracted to Indra.

Arjuna was very handsome, very powerful. So then she went at night to him. And she was dressed in a way that was meant to provoke a man's desires.

And when Arjuna saw her, Arjuna immediately, he looked at her. He looked away from her and he says, how can I serve you? She says, Indra has sent me to you. And she basically offered herself to him.

He says, no, no, no, no. Actually, I was looking at you because I have heard about how my ancestor Pururava was attracted to you. That story is described in the 9th Canto of Bhagavatam and the 11th Canto of Bhagavatam.

That Pururava was completely infatuated with her and he practically gave up everything for her sake. So he says, I was remembering about how Pururava was attracted to you and therefore I was looking at you. She says, not that I am personally attracted to you.

He says, no, no, but I am attracted to you, Urvashi said practically speaking. I want to be with you. He says, no, you have been the wife of my ancestor.

So therefore you are like my mother. He said, I cannot unite with you. She said, you know, these rules of morality do not apply to us in heaven.

He says, no, yes, they may not apply to you in heaven, but I am not from heaven. I have to follow the rules of morality. He said, no, your father has sent me to you.

Indira has sent me to you. You must satisfy me. He said, no, no, I cannot do that.

So for a woman to offer herself, that is often sometimes difficult to do and then for a woman to be rejected after she is offered, that is extremely mortifying. So Urvashi was furious and she said, you are acting like an important person. I curse you that you will become important.

Now, for Arjuna this was devastating. First of all, to exhibit self-control in such a situation where not just an ordinary woman, but Apsara is offering herself with no strings attached, that itself is difficult and after one does that, after one exhibits such exemplary self-control, then instead of being praised, one gets cursed for that. That is even more shocking.

So he immediately went to Indira's palace and he told her all this and then Indira said, Indira, he thought, as he was going along, he said, surely, Indira must have thought that this will happen. Why did he send her? Then Indira told him, don't worry, this will come to good use for you in future. So that curse which Urvashi had given to him when Arjuna had been in heaven in the forest time, that curse Arjuna used now.

So he got the benefit here because here he wanted to act like a trance teacher for Uttara, the daughter of Virata, Virata's king. So then he was able to take up that curse and he acted as a eunuch over here and in that way he could also stay in Agya-Atwas. So actually, sometimes when we try to stay strong in our principles, it may appear as if we are getting into more trouble.

By resisting temptation, Arjuna got seem to get into more trouble. But what happened was, eventually, in an inconceivable way, he could not have possibly thought later that I'll have to act like a eunuch and at that time the curse will come in helpful. But in the old way, if somebody lives for Dharma, even if there is trouble, that trouble will eventually lead to something good in a way that we can't conceive at that time.

So that's how Arjuna had acted as a eunuch and not just acted as a eunuch, he had become a eunuch for that one month. He had become physically important. So when he came along, the king of Virata, he actually saw him and he told that I am a dance teacher.

Then he was going to entrust his daughter. So he had to be careful. So he had him examined and they found that yes, he is actually a eunuch.

And then they had him entrusted with the responsibility of teaching his daughter. So the point of all the discussion is, although Arjuna was a eunuch at that time, but for all the Pandavas, it was an extremely mortifying period. At least when they were in the forest, they were on their own and they were surrounded by sages and they were discussing Krishna.

They were discussing about the various Vedic histories and the Lord's pastimes. But here when they were in Arjunathwas, they had to act as servants for some other king whose power was actually far lower than their power. So Bhima had to become a cook.

Arjuna, Yudhishthira became a minister. Draupadi had to become a maid servant for the queen. But among all of them, probably the most mortifying, most humiliating, in a sense degrading duty was for Arjuna, that he had to become a eunuch and a dance teacher for a woman.

So of course, that woman was the princess. That was different. But the point is, for him to become a dance teacher and a eunuch was itself quite mortifying.

So the word Klaibya actually invokes those thoughts. So for Arjuna, you acted like a Klaibya, you acted like a eunuch, you acted like an important, but have you actually become important? Have you actually become important? So this is a severe verbal slap and Arjuna, Krishna wants to goad Arjuna out and make him fight. But Arjuna's depression is too deep.

You know, just some surface talks are not going to work. So Arjuna counters all this. And then Krishna, next time when he speaks, then he will start giving enlightenment.

So let us see what Krishna speaks. Sorry, when Krishna has spoken, let us see what Arjuna speaks. Arjuna vāca, kathambhīṣma-mahāṁsaṅkhe, dronaṁ ca madhusūdana, īśu-vibhati-yotsyaṁ, pūjā-rāvari-sūdana.

So he says, kathambhīṣma-mahāṁsaṅkhe, in the battle, saṅkhe, kathambhīṣma-mahāṁsaṅkhe, how can I fight with Bhīṣma? Dronaṁ ca madhusūdana. How can I fight with Drona? Bhīṣma is my grandfather, Drona is my teacher. Īśu-vibhati-yotsyaṁ, pūjā-rāvari-sūdana.

How can I shoot arrows at them? Īśu-vibhi. So what should I be doing? Actually, instead of offering arrows, pūjā-rāva, I should be offering them flowers. I should be respecting them.

And he is drawing out, highlighting the contrast by using the word arisūdana. Arisūdana means, first he has used the word madhusūdana for him. That is, fine, you are the killer of the madhu demon, what is arisūdana? You are the killer of demons.

Now, would you ever shoot arrows at Mahārāja Ugrasen, who is your grandfather, or would you shoot arrows at Sandipani Muni, who is your teacher? If you would never shoot arrows at them, you will kill only your demons. You are a killer of enemies, arisūdana. An example of that is you kill madhu.

But how can you ask me to shoot arrows for killing my elders? In fact, according to Prabhupāda Rādhā, according to Vedic etiquette, one should not even verbally counter one's elders. What to speak of? Physically attack them. So, he says, how can I do that? Kathaṁ meśham.

So, here they are both discussing in rhetorical language. So, krṣṇās kutas tvā kaśma-lamidam. From where from? From where from have such impurities come? Now, where from such impurities have come doesn't mean have they come from North, West, East, South.

That is not the point. They are not expected to be there. It's a rhetorical question.

Rhetorical question means, in that rhetorical question, the answer is implied. The question itself contains an answer. One is not expecting an answer, but it is implied.

What is the use of crying when things have already gone wrong? Then, what is the use of crying means? There is no use of crying. So, kutas tvā kaśma-lamidam means, from where have they come? They should not have come. Kathaṁ meśham ahaṁ saṅkhe.

How can I fight with my elders? That means I cannot fight. So, they are rhetorical questions which are used to emphatically drive home a point. So, then, he substantiates his point with further reasoning.

Gurun ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣyam api haloke ahatvā takā māṁsthu guruni haivān bunjīya bhogān rudhir pradhikdhān So, gurun ahatvā, ahatvā is to kill, ahatvā is to not kill. So, gurun ahatvā, without killing my lady, mahānubhāvān and they are mahānubhāvān. Now, somebody may say that actually, yes, he might have been a guru, but he has not acted properly and therefore he is no longer the guru.

So, the Mahabharata also contains the words, actually, that if a guru acts in an unworthy way, then the guru can be rejected. So, Rūgya Gosvāmā talks about this in his writings and we have the example of that in Bali Mahārāja acting against the will of Śukrācārya. He is a priest, but the priest was also acting like a spiritual master for Bali Mahārāja and the demons.

So, when he told him, don't surrender to Viṣṇu, so then Bali Mahārāja said, no, the purpose of the guru is to help a disciple surrender to Viṣṇu, to go closer to Viṣṇu. So, if the guru is coming in between that, then the guru should be rejected. So, similarly, in this context here, Dronacharya and Bhishma, both actually had remained silent.

They had not stopped when Draupadi was being misrobed. So, by thus allowing adharma to happen, they had also practiced adharma and because they had practiced adharma, they had also become contaminated by sin and therefore they were not worthy of being gurus. They were not worthy of being gurus.

So, that's why somebody may say that, oh, how can they be gurus? So, Krishna, Arjuna's point is, no, they are still Mahānubhāva, you know, they are still great souls. So, you know, this Draupadi's vastra haran is a very traumatic pastime. Of course, it is traumatic ultimately because Krishna comes and offers unlimited cloth to her, but before that it was very traumatic.

It was traumatic for everyone over there, especially those who were in the side of virtue. For the Pandavas, it was traumatic to first of all lose their whole kingdom, to lose their honor, to become enslaved and then to see Draupadi also humiliated like that. But it was similarly for Bhishma also, for Drona also, for Vidura also.

So, and of course, for Draupadi it was so mortifying. So, why did Bhishma remain silent at that time? So, at the deepest level we understand that this whole pastime is meant to demonstrate a particular truth and that truth is that no matter how many worthy protectors we have in this world, still this world can put us in situations where none of our protectors will be able to protect us and ultimately we have only one protector and that protector is the Supreme Lord. So, Draupadi had, normally a woman is protected by her husband, Draupadi had five Kshatriya husbands and still she could not be protected.

Such circumstances came up that they were all reduced to helplessness and similarly there were elders, elders who could not, like Bhishma was so powerful that nobody could counter him in war. Drona was a teacher of great Kshatriyas and even they were not able to help. So, ultimately we understand this whole pastime is orchestrated in such a way that this lesson is taught that we have no protector ultimately except Krishna.

So, that is the lesson which we learn from this pastime at the ultimate level. At the same time if you look at the contextual level, the Mahabharata especially can be understood at various levels, at the Karmakanda level and the pure devotional level. So, at the Karmakanda level, why did Bhishma fight on the side of the Kauravas? Because he was duty bound, he had taken a vow.

Because he had taken the salt of the Kauravas, so he had to fight on their side. He had taken a vow to protect the ruling dynasty, ruler of the Hastinapur and that is why he had to fight. But that is external reason, that is the Karmakanda level.

The deeper level, he fought on the side of the Kauravas because he wanted to demonstrate the principle that the Lord wanted through him to demonstrate the principle that anybody who goes against the will of the Lord that person will perish. So, similarly at the Karmakanda level, at the pure devotional level we understand that Bhishma Pitamah was orchestrated by the Lord. But at another level, at the Karmakanda level, you can also look at the reasoning.

So, when Draupadi was gambled and she was lost, so at that time Duryodhana, Karna, Dushyasandhya, Kshakundiya started laughing, rubbing salt on the wounds of the Kauravas, of the Pandavas and then they suggested, now Draupadi has been won over, now let us bring her over here and bring her here and then she is our maidservant, we can do whatever we want with her. Actually even with maidservants, Kshatriyas are not allowed to do anything that they want. Maidservants also have to be taken care of.

Kshatriyas, Kshatriya trayate, they are meant to protect others. Maidservants are meant to serve the house and serve the kings but they also should be given proper dignity. This was the idea.

She is our maidservant, we can do whatever we want. This was a perversion of Kshatriya idea and all the more so for a woman who is not a maidservant. So, then he sent one of the court attendants called Pratikaman.

So, Pratikaman he sent him, go and get Draupadi. So, now he was trembling. He knew this was a very adharmic act that was happening when he told Draupadi.

Draupadi was very kind and he said what is the matter? He said you have been summoned to the assembly and he told everything that had happened. So, Draupadi was aghast to hear this but then she said that you go and ask the assembly that who was gambled first? If Yudhishthira had gambled himself away first, then did he have any right to gamble me? If Yudhishthira was not even his own master, he was already a slave, he was already lost himself, he had become a slave, then how could he have gambled me? And if he was not my master and he has gambled me at that time, then my gambling is not proper, then I am not anybody's slave. So, he went and told this.

So, Pratikaman said this question and then Duryodhana, he was so hoffed, he said, tell her she can come to the assembly and ask this question to the assembly herself. So, Pratikaman went again and then she said, Draupadi heard this and she said actually I am in my period, I am wearing a single cloth, I cannot come now. So, he went and told.

So, Duryodhana got very angry, why are you coming alone? So, he said, our answer, she cannot come. So, then Duryodhana said, she is our maid servant, whether she is in a period or what, she is wearing a single cloth or no cloth, she has to obey our commands. Duryodhana turned to Dushyasana and said, this Pratikaman is a coward, he is afraid of Bhima.

Dushyasana, you are not afraid of Bhima, you go and get her. So, then Dushyasana went and brutally dragged her. So, when Dushyasana saw, when Draupadi saw Dushyasana coming, she became scared and she ran.

Only place she could run to was, everybody was in the assembly, so she ran towards Gandhari's chambers. So, at least Gandhari would stop her. But before she could reach Gandhari's chambers, Dushyasana grabbed her, caught her by her hair and dragged her brutally to the assembly and crying bitterly like helpless osprey, Draupadi came and fell, she was thrown, hurled on the floor of the court and everybody was aghast.

Of course, everybody apart from the Kauravas, they were aghast to see what was happening. Why, why? They said, this is terrible, they said, what is this happening? But then Draupadi got up and she says, she was such a cultured lady, she says, please forgive me, I am coming in this condition, but I have been brought here against my will and she submitted the same appeal again and she looked at everyone else, at everyone and nobody answered her. So then, at that time when nobody answered, she begged, she said, you know, please tell, actually the Pandavas were so mortified, they could not even meet the eyes of Draupadi and Draupadi said that, please tell, actually Yudhishthira has already gambled himself, then how could he have gambled me? So then, at that time, Bhishma Pitama, he is Pope and he said that, Bhishma said that, actually the question that you have asked is very difficult, my mind is bewildered.

He said that, you know, actually if a person has gambled himself away, then he has no right to gamble anyone else. At the same time, it is said in the scripture that the wife always belongs to the husband. So, these are contradictory considerations and I don't know, I am confused about what is the solution.

So, here, actually from the Karmakanda point of view, here Bhishma Pitama is acting as if he is caught in a Niyamagraha. We discussed in Updesha Amrit, Niyamagraha means to get caught in the technicalities of a rule without understanding its essential principle. So, the essential principle is that all the rules are ultimately there to prevent injustice from happening.

And now, at a latent level, injustice is happening. How? You know, a virtuous lady is being so publicly and flagrantly dishonored, that's injustice. So, technicalities don't matter, you know.

The whole thing should have been stopped right away, there itself. But here, what happens is Bhishma Pitama gets caught in the Niyamagraha and then Vikarana speaks. Vikarana says, oh, assembly, you should answer.

He says, if you are not going to answer, nobody answers the question. She has raised the question and we will all become contaminated by sin if we don't answer. Then Vikarana says, if you don't answer, I will answer.

And then Vikarana says that when Kshatriya has come under the influence of animal hunting, womanizing, gambling or drinking, then they lose their intelligence and they act irrationally. And what action are done in that situation should not be taken very seriously. So, he says that I feel that whole gambling match should be cancelled, annulled.

And the Kapandavas should be restored to their kingdom and Kauravas should be restored to their proper honor. So, on hearing this, all the assemblies, except for those, Kauravas start cheering. And they all start cheering.

Yes, yes, this is very rightly said, very rightly said. When Vikarana blazes up and he is using his, moving his giant arms, he silences everyone. Shut up, shut up, he says.

And then he says that there are many improper things that I have seen in this assembly, but the most improper thing is what Vikarana has spoken. See, see his perverted logic. Vikarana is trying to protect Dharma, but he is saying this is the most improper thing.

He says Yudhishthir gambled voluntarily. He says nobody forced him to gamble. He was invited, he came, he was invited to gamble, he agreed to gamble.

Nobody forced him to gamble his kingdom. Nobody forced him to gamble himself. Nobody forced him to gamble his wife.

He has gambled voluntarily. So, now he has to bear the consequences. As far as chastity is concerned, actually, what kind of chaste woman will marry five husbands? Now, she is not at all a chaste woman and whatever we do to her, you see, there is nothing wrong with it.

Because a woman who has five husbands, she is already unchaste. So, when Vikarana spoke, just a panda, so angry, so angry, that was the time after, soon after that Bhima took those fierce vow. He took the vow that Dushyasana had brought him, brought Draupadi with her hand, dragging with her hand, she said, I will cut off that hand and I will drink the blood.

And Duryodhana had said, oh, Draupadi, you are my maid servant, come and sit on my lap now. So, he had tapped his lap. So, I will break your thigh.

Bhima took that vow. So, Arjuna said, I will kill Karna. So, it was a very terrible occasion.

So, of course, the point of our discussion here is that maunam sammatilakshanam. Bhishma and Drona, they were in that assembly and while being in that assembly, they silently, almost unprotestingly, allowed Draupadi to be disgraced. So, that's why they are not worthy to be Gurus.

That is the point. But Arjuna feels, no, no, no, they have given me so much, they are worthy of being Gurus. Gurun ahatvahi mahanubhava.

So, he said, they are still mahanubhava. Shreyo bhoktum bhaikshyam api haloke. So, he says, that rather than trying to enjoy this world, bhaikshyam, literally better, shreya for me, if I become a beggar and I live by begging rather than hatvartha kamaamstha guru dihaiva, for my kama, for my lust, hatvartha, if I kill my worshipable superiors, bhunjiya bhogan rudhir pradigdhan, then the spoils that we get, the kingdom that we will get will be tainted by blood.

And what is the use of such kingdom that is tainted by blood? He says, we will be contaminated by sin and tainted by blood. So, far better than that is shreyo bhoktum bhaikshyam. Far better to live by begging.

So, Arjuna, he is maintaining his respect towards his superiors even though they have acted in grievously wrong ways and he is saying, I cannot kill them, I cannot kill them. Better that I live by begging. Why I live by begging? Because for a kshatriya, there is no other way to live.

Kshatriya is meant to rule and rule and that way kshatriya gains taxes and that is how the kshatriya rules. The Pandavas living in exile in the forest, that was an exceptional situation because they were under sentence and when they were living as guests after that in Virat's kingdom, that is also as temporary. But normally kshatriya need to have a place to administer and that is how they live.

Otherwise, they are basically renunciates and as renunciates, they live by begging. It is better for us to live by begging. It is better for us to live that way rather than to eat the spoils of those who are killed.

So, this is Arjuna's feeling and we will discuss this more in our next class. Thank you very much.